Improvement in wind-engines



L. KING. Wind-Engine.

No. 212,709. Patented Feb. 25,1879.

V N. PETERS, PNOTO-LlTHOGRAPHEH, WASHINGTON I: C

LEVVIS'KING,

OF LAIEER, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT lN WIND-ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 212,709, dated February 25, 1879; application filed July 17, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS KING, of the town and county of Lapeer, and State of Michigan, have invented an Improvement in Wind Enines, of which the following is a specification:

The nature of my invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in windengines, whereby cost of construction, ease of control, and durability are designed to be fa vorably effected; and the invention consists, first, in the manner of constructing and arranging the windwheel, and, second, in the devices for throwing the sails into the wind.

Figure l is a perspective of my improved wind-engine. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a perspective view enlarged, showing the manner of attaching the sails. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the pumprod, showing the swivel-joint.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, A represents the hub of a wheel; B, the spokes thereof, the i11- ner ends of which are rigidly secured to said hub, while their outer ends are secured in any convenient manner to the rim 0. The sails 1) are constructed in the form shown in Fig. 2, provided with arms E, and are pivoted or hinged to the spokes B-that is to say, each sail is pivoted to a different spokethe number of spokes and sails being alike.

In order to lessen the periphery of the wheel and shorten the spokes, thereby decreasing the cost and weight thereof, the rim of the wheel passes through a slot, (1, in each sail at a considerable distance from the outer end thereof, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 very clearly, said slots being of sufficient width to allow of the free movement of the sails, and at the same time to act as stops, when the wheel is in operation, and stiffen the wheel at that point. Preferably, there should be two points at which the sails are pivoted to the spokes, the first one being at the inner end of the arm, next the hub, and the other at the outer extremity of the spoke, just inside the rim. The lower end of each arm is provided with a crank-arm, Z), by means of which and a connecting-rod, 0, each of the sails is secured to the clutch-block F, which is sleeved upon the shaft G. The protraction or withdrawal of this clutch-block throws the sails into or out of the wind. To the clutch block is secured the flange d in such manner as to leave between said flange and the rear face of the clutchblock the downwardly-bent end of the arm H, which. has a reciprocating motion in the bearings e.

A bellcrank, I, is pivoted below the main shaft G in such manner that its upwardly-projecting arm will engage with the arm H, while the other arm is provided near its outer end with an adjustable weight, g. A chain or rope, h, is attached to the arm H, which leads downward through the turn table and cap, and is secured to the rod 76, which passes down through the hollow cylinder and through a slot in the side thereof near the lower end, where it is provided with a pivoted lever, m.

The turn-table J has a rotary movement upon the cap K, and to the turn-table there are secured hooked flanges n, which engage with a channeled recess, 0, in the periphery of the cap, and securely hold the turn-table in place without interfering with its rotary movement in said cap. L is the tail-vane, secured. to the cap in the usual manner.

To the inner end of the shaft G is secured the crank wheel M, to which, by the usual wrist-pin, is pivoted the pitman N the lower end of which is pivoted to the upper end of the hollow cylinder 0, and the lower end of this upper portion is sleeved with a shoulder into the upper end of the lower half, P, ofsaid hollow cylinder in such manner that the upper portion of the hollow cylinder will freely revolve with the turn-table without revolving the lower'portion thereof.

In practice, the sails being eccentrically hung or pivoted to the spokes and being set for operation, and the weight loaded to a point Ithat will not interfere with their operation with the wind at a certain velocity, should the wind increase, the sails will with such increase be gradually thrown edgewise to or thrown out of the wind. As the velocity diminishes after such increase, the weight forces the clutch forward, thereby throwing the sails into the wind.

When it is desired to stop the wheel, it may be done by depressing the lever m, which, by the clutch block F on the main shaft G, havneans of its connections, withdraws the clutch ing flange (I, said clutch being connected to and throws the sails out of the wind. the wind-wheel by crank-arm b and connect- What I claim as my invention, and desire to 1ng-rod c, the arm H, reciprocating in bearings secure by Letters Patent, is e, and the bell-crank I and adjustable weight 1. In a wind-engine the combination, with 9, whereby the sails are thrown into the wind, the hub A, of the'short spokes B and the all substantially asdescribed and shown. sails D pivoted eccentrically at two points to such SflOkGS, and having a slot, to, through LEWIS KING which the rim 0 passes, substantially as del VVitnesse-s:

scribed and shown. H. S. SPRAGUE, 2. The combination, with the wind-wheel, of A. BARTHEL. 

